It is finished!

The inevitable final day came yesterday.  Our final day with the kids and their performance in front of their parents during the conference closing program on Monday evening.  Lots of sad faces and hugs.  The parents had wonderful words of praise for our ministry. One parent told us they had not been able to worship together as husband and wife for eight months, and now they got to because we ministered to their children.  Another one told us that they came to the conference primarily because of the children's program.

One of our former team members, Susan Wong Ownby loaned us a small portable photo printer.  That allowed us to offer a new ministry this trip.  We also had a professional photographer on our team and that allowed us to take portraits of each child and print them and give them to the parents.  One father told me with tears in his eyes that I had no idea what this meant to the families.  They do not have the resources to have this quality of pictures taken where they live.

 Most of our team headed out Tuesday morning with a tour guide to see the seven churches of the Revelation. The rest of us went into town ( 20 minute drive from our hotel) and did a little shopping and sight seeing.  We then returned to the hotel to enjoy our first real downtime since the trip began twelve days ago.  Our van to the airport departs at 8:15 tomorrow morning (Wednesday).  The Portland team members arrive at PDX at around 9:30 PM also on Wednesday!

Thanks for following our journey on this blog! We hope it was fun and informative and that you felt part of our team.

Notes to other children in native language

Another note in native language

On our last full day we went shopping

Traditional missionary sunset picture!

Sunday

On Sunday we had a full schedule with the kids.  Many of them were very tired after having spent Saturday either on an all day tour or around the pool at our hotel.  Some of them were a little cranky!  The boys went out to play soccer with Teacher Jordan, but came in after an hour.  Just not enough energy. The girls stayed inside and had a great time with a variety of crafts...doing nails,beading, legos, and rubber band bracelets. The rubber band bracelets has been the biggest hit in the craft department.  Boys and girls alike have loved them.

Making rubber band bracelets

Teacher Jordan playing soccer with boys

One of the twins favorite places to play

Teacher Faith doing girl's nails

SATURDAY WAS TOUR DAY

Our Saturday started off like everyday, team devotions, breakfast, getting rooms ready and receiving the kids at 9 AM. Parents were coming back to get them at 10:30 so everyone that chose could go on one of the two tours for the day.

We spent the 90 minutes we had with the kids preparing for their time in front of their parents in the closing program Monday evening.  We practiced the 3 songs they will sing complete with hand motions.  This is coming together nicely.  Then we watched a Veggie Tales video on the Last Supper.

Then we all headed out on tour.  The first timers to Turkey toured Ephesus.  Those of us that had been here before toured Miletus, Didyma,and Priene. Very fascinating touring these ancient ruins. As you remember, the Apostle Paul at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:17-38) stopped at Miletus on his way back to Jerusalem.  He sent word to the elders in Ephesus to come to Miletus so he could say a final farewell to them knowing he would not see them again.  These were men he had poured his life into for several years.

Theater at Miletus

Miletus

Ruins of temple at Didyma

Ruins at Priene with wind turbines in background!

It's Tour Day

Another full day yesterday. Our kids are really enjoying their time with us.  One mother told one of our teachers with  tears in her eyes what a blessing our children's program was for she and her husband.  She said it had been a very long time since they had been able to worship together.

The kids continue to run to class and complain when their parents come to pick them up.  All good signs that we are ministering to them.

Today (Saturday) we have a shortened program.  We will have the kids for two hours and then the whole conference has the rest of the day off.  Some will tour Ephesus, others Miletus, and still others will stay at the hotel and enjoy family time at the ocean or by the pool.

Grandpa with baby duty

Grandma with other baby

 One of the families at the conference had twins two months ago. A boy and a girl. Grandma and Grandpa came to Turkey from New Zealand to help them with the twins.  So they help us some times in the baby room.

Our pre-school children are having fun too. Teacher Joy and Haley are doing a great job and got to take the children to an outside play area.  That was a great break for teachers and children.

Making rubber band bracelets was a big hit

Teacher Joy encouraging one of her pre-school children

Another Great Day

It's 8:45 PM on Thursday and we just completed our 2nd of 5 full days of ministry to children.  The day went very well.  Once again our morning was spent singing, interacting with Dr. Paws in a skit, and rotating through 4 learning stations.  We also got to watch a video with pictures of some of the kids involved in the first days activities. We are beginning to plan what songs and skits we want to use in our closing program in front of the parents on Monday evening.

Dale and Janet Watts

 We are missing a couple of our teammates that were unable to make the trip at the last minute because of significant medical concerns.  Janet Watts planned and coordinated our morning elementary program.  She selected the curriculum and planned the schedule.  Had she been able to make the trip, she would have been the morning team leader.  She filled this same role in 2012, so she brought a lot of experience to our team. She also has an  infectious positive spirit. You can understand why we miss her. Dale was to be the IT guy for the whole conference. In 2012 he spent night and day working on the computers of conference attendees. I know they are missing his services.

Playing with Lego's

Our afternoons provide lots of different opportunities. Each child can select from a number of different crafts throughout the afternoon or to go out to the pool.  We usually end our afternoon with a video to get the kids settled down and wait for their parents to come and pick them up.

One of the parents told me jokingly today that we are doing too good of job because her kids don't want to leave at the end of the day.

Decorating her t-shirt

Samaritan Woman stopped by

They love watching videos

Great First Full Day

Pool time

Our team of 16 completed its first full day of ministry to 50+ children ages 2 months to 12 years of age.  Things went pretty smoothly.  The kids are engaging in our morning program of worship songs and drama. They are quickly learning all the motions that go with the songs. We are even hearing them singing or humming the songs while doing crafts in the afternoon.  This is greatly encouraging.  Each of the children will get a cd of  all the songs to take home with them.

For our team, our day begins with team devotions at 7:15 each morning and a review of the day's plan and then breakfast.  The kids arrive at 9 AM.

 For our elementary aged children the morning consists of a time of worship, games, snacks, drama, and learning stations. This goes from 9 AM until 1 PM when we break for lunch. The afternoons consist of electives such as time at the pool, crafts, board games, and movies. These activities go from 2 PM until 7 PM when we end for the day and go to dinner. For the babies and preschool children it is games, stories, lots of play time and some naps! As you can see our days are pretty full.

Our team is doing great and is staying healthy.  Please keep us in prayer for stamina and good nights rest.

Craft Time..Decorating t-shirt

Game Time

Visit by Zoo Keeper Dr. Paws

AND WE ARE OFF AND RUNNING

After a very busy day on Tuesday of getting all of our classrooms ready, some final training, and lots of time in prayer, the time to meet the kids finally arrived.  Our team of 16 was introduced on Tuesday evening at the conference opening session and we gathered up the kids and headed through the hotel to the wing of rooms we will be using all week.  Lots of smiles and excitement and a few tears from a couple of the young ones who weren't too sure about leaving mom.  Our theme this year is "Weird Animals". It talks about how each or us is unique and how much the Creator loves us.  We have an awesome team.  The young team members have really stepped up to lead the each days opening and closing worship times with our elementary kids. It's now Wednesday morning and we are getting ready for our first full day of serving.

Our program leaders practicing their moves

Gail Tait showing her area display

Please keep us in your prayers.  Team is full of energy and feeling great.

Faith taking a break

Some of Jordan's team doing motions to the music

Getting acquainted

We Made It!

After 49 hours, 6 different airline terminals, in four different countries Mike, Gail, and Jordan made it to Izmir Turkey. We left Portland at noon on Friday and arrived in Izmir at 9:30 PM on Sunday. We made it to our hotel and to bed at 1:30 AM Monday.

Short night.  Up at 6 to breakfast, catch up with the rest of the team and headed out to get all of our equipment and supplies ready for our children's program which starts Tuesday evening.

We are starting to see families that we have gotten to know over the past four years.  They keep stopping us and thanking us for coming back.  The team is well and doing great.


Our Team!



First time all together for training

Keep Praying

Update from beautiful Calgary, Canada!  Mike, Gail,and Jordan spent a restful night at the Delta Hotel at the Calgary airport as the guests of Air Canada!  Our plane from Portland to Calgary was 90 minutes late yesterday so we missed our connection to Frankfurt. Had they just held the plane 15 minutes we and about about 30 other people could have made it.  We are now at the Calgary airport heading to Toronto, Munich,and then Izmir.  We will not arrive in Izmir until 1:15 AM Monday morning.  The rest of our team arrived in Izmir a couple of hours ago.

In our training we talk a lot about SURF (servant-hood, unity, respect and flexibility). Well, we are getting to practice all of those qualities on this trip. I guess the leader/trainer needed this as much as any one on the team!!!

We will update again when we get to Munich.  Keep praying for us as we continue on this journey.  Also pray for the rest of the team that they can get our ministry rooms setup at the hotel.

Blessings,

Mike

Please Pray!!!!

• Gail, Mike (team leaders), and Jordan missed their connection in Calgary, Canada to Frankfurt, Germany due to late departure out of Portland.  We are spending the night in Calgary and are having lots of trouble being re-booked.  Right now we cannot get into Izmir, Turkey until 1 AM on Monday. We have team training scheduled for all day on Sunday and Monday.

Greatly appreciate your prayers!!

We are heading back to Turkey!

A team of 16 people will head out on June 13 and 14 to serve 60 children while their parents attend a conference.  The team is coming together from three different cities across the US.  Portland, Oregon, Lynchburg, Virginia, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  For some on the team this is their third time serving in this way, for others it is their first time to travel outside the US.  Hope you will check out our blog throughout our trip and keep us in your prayers.  Let the adventure begin!

Jordan

Gail and Jenny

Faith

Rachel

Mike &  Gail

Haley

Cora, Rose, Joy, Cindy
Judy, Randy, Chip, Ted